Cameraman, 54, was killed when Land Rover with broken speedometer 'shot in wrong direction' and ploughed into him during stunt on Netflix-BBC drama Black Earth Rising, inquest hears

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A Game of Thrones cameraman was killed when a Land Rover with a broken speedometer 'shot in the wrong direction,' and ploughed into him during a stunt on Netflix-BBC drama Black Earth Rising, an inquest heard today. 

Shocked crew members looked on in horror as the vehicle hit 'talented' Mark Milsome, 51, while he was filming on location in Ghana in November 2017. 

Crew members are said to have thought the driver was travelling at an 'uncomfortably fast' speed, a coroner heard today, as it was revealed there was also no safety briefing for the staff on site, the stunt driver and arranger were generally unknown to the crew, and having a manned camera near the stunt went against a risk assessment. 

Father-of-one Mr Milsome was shooting as the car attempted a rollover stunt, but something went wrong and it collided with him and his camera.

Speaking at his son's inquest today, his father Doug Milsome who is also a cinematographer said: 'I have shot Bond movies and death-defying action sequences far more complex than the ones that killed my son.

'The standards of professional stunt crew and producers, those who make key decisions, should never have allowed Mark to die that night - a fact.' 

Mark left behind wife Andra, 58, and daughter Alice, 14, who have spent the past three years waiting for answers about the incident.

Mark Milsome, 54, was killed in Ghana, Africa, when a car stunt he was filming went wrong. An inquest has heard a Land Rover Defender ploughed into him during the stunt, but there had been no safety briefing for crew on site before filming started

Taking to the stand today, his sister Sarah Harrison said: 'I could spend hours talking about Mark, telling you how talented, funny, smart, caring, and loving he was, but if you had met him only for five minutes you would know.'

She added that it 'should be impossible' for a person to die in a 'modern industry.'

'Even after three years the shock of his death is still devastating.'

The company which filmed the scene is called Forgiving Earth Ltd which produced the series.

For the scene, the four-by-four vehicle was meant to mount a ramp before toppling over on its side - but the stunt went horrifically wrong, West London Coroner's Court today heard.

Several cameras were used to film the shot but only one was manned, the coroner was told.

Dean Byfield, an assistant director who has worked on popular shows including Holby City, Whitechapel, and Line of Duty and was on set at the time, told the inquest it was 'shocking and unexpected' when the car careered away from its route towards Mr Milsome.

The manoeuvre, he said, was not what was planned in rehearsals of the stunt.

Showing the direction of the Land Rover Defender across the ramp with two notebooks, Mr Byfield showed the vehicle was meant to approach a ramp at a sideways angle causing it to roll off. But instead it approached at a more head-on angle and went over the ramp.

He said: 'It shot in completely the wrong direction.'

Widow Andra Milsome, 58, with their daughter Alice, 14, and Mr Milsome on holiday. Mr Milsome's sister Sarah Harrison told the inquest it should be 'impossible' for a person to die in a 'modern industry'

He added how the Land Rover also strayed from its planned path on the approach before returning to the correct course.

Mr Byfield said: 'On route along the track some, distance from the mound, it seemed to go left a bit and then adjusted to its central line but on the directly immediate approach of 30 metres or 20 metres - its hard to gauge distances - it was then on the true course that had been rehearsed.'

The inquest grilled the assistant director on other aspects of the shoot, including how the decision was made to add a manned camera in the shoot

When asked about having a manned camera in the first place, he said: 'Given every discussion we had had about the trajectory of the vehicle, the expected behaviour of the vehicle, I didn't think this was odd.

British cameraman Mark Milsome, who died while filming scenes for a BBC and Netflix drama in Ghana in 2017. Crew members were said to have thought a stunt driver was travelling 'uncomfortably fast,' before the horrific crash three years ago

'I didn't think it a bad decision or a wrong steer. I have been in situations where I have felt that and said something to someone. I didn't feel uncomfortable with the proposal. My understanding is that nobody else felt that either.'

But he was probed by the lawyer for Mr Milsome's family, Adrian Waterman QC, who revealed a number of potential problems including a lack of safety briefing and a broken speedometer.

He said: 'So you have an unknown stunt arranger, an unknown driver, you had in the event although you didn't know about it, a broken speedo, you had the placing of a manned camera contrary to risk assessment, yes, - looking back do you think it would have been better had their been a safety briefing and these things emerged.'

Mr Byflield replied: 'Had these things emerged* that's hindsight. I don't know sir.

He also said he was not aware that someone had been given the job of pulling Mr Milsome out of the way.

Mr Waterman QC said: 'Does it come as complete news to you that someone was given the job of pulling Mark out of the way if necessary?'

Mr Byfield replied: 'Yes. We would need someone there to pull him out the way if he was in the wrong place.'

The court also heard about an 'unusual' delay caused by the stunt arranger having to meet with the driver before shooting began.

Mr Byfeild explained how the stunt arranger, John Smith, spent several minutes talking with the driver.

He said: 'It took close to 10 minutes and for me - you talk to your team members and they know what they're doing so it was unusual.

'Unusual to the point that after several minutes Hugo Blick, our director, came to me and asked what was going on so I radioed John who said 'a couple more minutes.'

'I don't know what they were discussing, but it took a long time.'

The inquest also heard heartrending tributes from Mr Milsome's sister and father. 

Mark's dad Doug Milsome, an accomplished cinematographer with decades of experience in the industry working closely with top directors including Stanley Kubrick, said: 'Although my wife and I have had three very dark years we have not yet reached a point where we can speak of Mark's death without emotion getting the better of us. 

'I have shot Bond movies and death defying action sequences far more complex than the ones that killed my son.

'The standards of professional stunt crew and producers, those who make key decisions, should never have allowed Mark to die that night - a fact.'

Black Earth Rising was shown on the BBC and Netflix and starred actress Michaela Coel

Speaking before the start of the inquest today, Caroline Davies, a solicitor from Irwin Mitchell, which is supporting Mr Milsome's family said: Not only was Mark well-renowned in the film and TV industry, he was also a loving, caring and devoted husband and dad.

'The last few years have been incredibly difficult for Andra and Alice as they attempted to try and come to terms with Mark's sudden and unexpected death.' 

Prior to the incident, Mark had a long career in the film industry and had worked on countless TV series including Game of Thrones, Sherlock and Downtown Abbey.

He had also filmed for Hollywood blockbusters including Saving Private Ryan, The Theory of Everything, and Quantum of Solace. 

The inquest continues.